The Third Odyssey - An Elysian Tale [Redux]

[HistoryDude]

That last sentence worries me. What if this priest and those like him accuse non-Plethonists of being Plethonists by accident? A witch hunt is one of the last things Elysia needs...

That being said, it's nice to see that the religious wars are over... hopefully a united Elysia can emerge from them...

 

[Legosim]

Really great story so far -- have never read an AAR from this mod, but it seems really well put together with all the flavor events and such, without railroading the player too much. You're crafting it into an awesome story to boot, look forward to seeing more!

 

[Crimson Lionheart]

Chapter 11: The Council of Odessos (1480-1487)​

Years had passed since the scourge of the Plethonist Revolts had left its deepest scars upon the empire, yet time had healed many of the wounds that the pagan threat had sought to harm against the Romans. Much of the population would begin to exceed pre-revolt levels, while the economic opportunities left from the ‘blank slate’ that had been created from the crisis would allow the economy to surge far beyond levels it had ever anticipated in growth. Enormous swaths of coastal settlements would be focused on the exterior for Colonia to be established, while many agricultural and productive work settlements would dot the landscape around the interior that hugged the Apaleisians. With a favorable climate, an abundance of food and wealth, and a skyrocketing birth rate, the Empire would finally shake away the last vestiges of the religious war that almost tore it completely asunder.

Emperor Theophilios II, after over a decade on the Imperial Throne, would earn a great amount of popularity from his subjects for his beneficial guidance and sometimes direct hand in guiding imperial affairs. Beloved for the enrichment of the empire as a whole, the fruits of success that had been planted by Konstantinos XI would bloom under his successor's reign. It would be during the 1480’s that Theophilios II would come to make a true name for himself under the ‘Golden Years’ of his reign.

The Tuscarora, after enjoying a degree of autonomy as a vassal to the empire, would be integrated without resistance into the wider dominion of the Empire. Brought into the fold following the Battle of Skarureh, the isolated Tuscarora would become staunch vassals and allies of the empire following the loss of their independence. Roman diplomats would placate the natives and mend broken relationships, and over time, the allure of integration into the Empire would become irresistible to the partially Hellenified elites.

The Eastern Roman Empire in 1480.

With the annexation of the tribe into the wider expanse of the realm, the southern frontierlands would begin to open up to settlers and merchants seeking to build a better life. Vast territories between the Elysian Coast and the Apaleisians would stretch until the southernmost expanse and contact with the tribes to the south. The Powhatan would encounter the Romans once more, where the sophisticated equipment and wealth that the Romans had gifted them decades earlier would see them craft a small but powerful native power in the region.

Long having established a presence within the capital and the region, Vinlandic warriors under imperial employ would earn a fierce reputation for themselves as powerful fearless warriors who helped aid the empire achieve victory on the battlefield. In the capital, the Northmen would gain considerable influence with the Emperor. Konstantinos XI would establish the Varangian Guard to serve as his bodyguard, much like the Varangians of old, something which had continued for years

Konstantinos’s affinity to foreign elements of the empire, from his guidance and foundation of the Barbaroi Councils and friendship to the previous Vinlandic realm of Markland would cause a stir among the dynatoi of the capital in recent times, where his successor Theophilios II would be worried that the barbarian foreigners were far too close to the ear of the Emperor and was easily swayed.

The concerns of the Dynatoi, whether validated or not, would quickly be diminished as Theophilios II worked to correct their influence. Varangian influence, if left unchecked, would become a worry among the upper echelons of power. As the nation would grow in size, so would the borders and forces of the Empire be stretched thinner and thinner. Advised by the most prominent members of his influential Varangian Guard, the Emperor would grant autonomy to the order and granted the Christianised Vinlanders their own semi-autonomous fiefdom within the Empire as an imperial subject.

The Varangian Order would grant the Varangians their own home within the Empire, ensuring the safety of the order while imperial forces would be freed to tend to other border regions. In addition to being given their own piece of the frontier, the Order would retain its mission of serving the Romans and be given freedom to develop their new lands.

The Varangians would become immensely grateful for Theophilios II and settle within the region, earning the Emperor a far higher standing among his already loyal foreign bodyguard. The decision to grant the foreigners their piece of the Empire would lower the Emperor’s popularity among the estates of the Empire, upsetting the dynatoi who felt that the decision to grant the Order a homeland was unnecessary and that the lands were better put to use to Greek settlers. The Clergy would see the pragmatism of allowing the Christinised Vinlanders to establish their home in the area, but some would feel uncomfortable that the Emperor would ‘placate’ far too much to foreign elements within the Empire already.

Finances for the construction of Mount Aithia would begin to run low, even with the stabilization of the economy and its current period of growth. Feeling that progress on the project had not satisfied the clergy and the crown in its pursuit to construct a new Mount Athos in the new world, the Emperor would push the burghers to seek a loan for additional finances from the bankers to purchase more raw supplies that a limited budget simply couldn’t afford. It would push the crown’s finances into the mercy of the merchants, but it was a sacrifice that was worthy of divine salvation of the Empire’s soul as a whole.

Distant contact with the Powhatan in the decades past would strike a cord of shared history, as contact with the tribe would spark a swing of attitude among the tribes. Even following the Accord between the Empire and the Powhatan, and a shared bit brief period of unity, the empire would unfortunately fail in its diplomacy with the barbaroi. Armed with old steel, the Powhatan behaved with hostility against the Romans whom they would see as an encroaching menace. The elders, having learned from their ‘mistakes’, would refuse the Romans outright. They had once left their homes to them, and they would never let the pale men from the north it again while they drew breath.

While efforts to engage and build an old alliance with the Powhatan failed, missionary efforts would passively see members of the Powhatan adopt Christianity. Many of the Powhatan remembered their history with the Romans and didn’t share the same attitude that their elders did. Many members of the tribe would abandon their forefather's faith and begin to convert in droves, leaving their homeland and settling near Elysium Bay, much to the anger of the traditionalist fury of the rest of the tribe. The Empire accepted their new native brothers in faith, accepting them despite leaving a permanent rift between the Powhatan and Romans.

Little reports would come to emerge from the distant lands of Lakonia, but whatever information comes from the lands to the far south would be stories of conquest and fantasy. Some of these stories would be exaggerated by fishermen and merchants who had returned from trading ships, which would begin filtering into the southern ports. It would be difficult to tell which stories ranged from fact or fiction, but through it all, a concrete truth would emerge that the expedition to the south had been a wild success.

Leonidas I and his warrior realm of Spartakon would see bewildering success on the field of battle, forging a state from blood and iron. Diplomats would arrive to serve as an emissary between the two kingdoms while cultivating favors and closer relations. Even if the prince once known as Belisarios Paleilogous wouldn't want to openly admit it to his new subjects, their entire existence would be owed to Theophilios’s goodwill. It was something that the Spartans of the South would never forget, no matter how vast the distance was between the two.

Almost forty years would pass since the Romans established themselves in the New World of Elysium, and through its trials and tribulations, the Empire would establish itself as a successful yet isolated kingdom on the new frontier of an entirely new homeland. Only the oldest greybeards would remember a time when Palia Konstantinopolis would be under the hold of the empire. It had been a bleak time when every inhabitant of the doomed city silently knew that the end was near. Through leaving the old world, much of its culture had survived. Orthodoxy would arrive upon the new shores of Elysium, and ever since the first landing, had remained almost virtually unchanged. As the culture of the Empire would change upon the new world, the effort would be needed for its faith to be changed along with it.

To strengthen its faith in the new world, the Patriarch of Nea Konstantinopolis would officially call for an Ecumenical Council, the first of its kind since the Roman arrival in Elysium. Every Orthodox bishop would be invited to the grand capital where the council was to be held. Romans, Cretans and Converted Natives would all come together in unison to stand as one and debate in its grand cathedrals on how to best reform Orthodoxy to better function in the New World.

Theological debates would last for days before a smaller and more finalized council would occur within Odessos that would last for several weeks more. The nature of the Holy Spirit and Saint Mary would rage for days, while the importance of the patriarchs and theology would stretch even further. Once an agreement is reached, Christendom would be forever changed as a new branch of the church would be born. Elysian Orthodoxy, independent from the wider world of Christendom across the sea, would emerge as an energized and invigorated church. Almost universally supported as an autocephalous church of Orthodoxy, the faith would begin to take a new shape of its own that would alter greatly from the Old World. The religious split between the Old and New World was complete, and between the ocean that separated from them, the Romans of Elysium had found their new spiritual identity.

With a reinvigorated drive, missionary efforts would be greatly increased as the Elysian Orthodox faith would begin to spread outward from imperial influence. Missionaries would begin to preach within the lands of the Haudenosaunee to great success, spreading the gospel in the lands of the Empire’s native ally. They would see the most success in the lands of the Onondaga, the leaders of the Confederacy, igniting the torch of mass conversion to Christianity within the tribe. Hoping to lead the other tribes as an example, the religious awakening within the mass conversion would be celebrated as a major accomplishment.

With an almost unimpeded growth around its new homeland, decades of isolation from the old world would come to an end with the discovery and later arrival of a small fleet of Portuguese ships arriving off the shores of Elysium. Anchoring off the coast of Troizen, their arrival would signal the first European contact with the Romans in nearly forty years. The Portuguese would come prepared, sending a group of emissaries, several of whom would speak Greek. While Europe had given up on finding out about the fate of the Greeks that had supposedly fallen to their demise, the Portuguese had used the knowledge that had been given to them during the Odyssey to send secret expeditions westward in search of the lost fleet of the Romans.

After decades of expeditions, the first contact between the two different worlds would be made. This would immediately gain imperial attention on the matter, especially from Theophilios II, who was upon the Grand Fleet when the original deal with the Portuguese had been made all those years ago. The Portuguese would offer the Emperor with a unique proposition. In exchange for exclusive access to the exotic trade goods within the market, the Portuguese would introduce the Empire to new technological advances from Europe. Portugal desired a monopoly on trade goods from the new world, while the Empire would catch-up and modernize to new standards of the old world.

Theophilios II would be quick to move onto the idea, establishing a Portuguese enclave isolated from the rest of the Roman citizens in an undeveloped area around the coastline within proximity to Elysian Bay. Some within the court remained fearful of the foreign influence and the fear that the Europeans would bring onto imperial ambition, but the benefits would far outweigh any of the negatives.

The Treaty of Troizen would be signed between the Greeks and Portuguese when more permanent contact would be made in the coming months. Signed as a beneficial trade deal, the treaty would carry diplomatic weight for future treaties between the Empire and the Old World. As long as the treaty would remain in place, the Empire would be unable to engage in direct contact with the Portuguese. The trade deal would also serve as an enormous boon for the economies of both nations but would carry enormous diplomatic weight in the years to come, upon which the Empire would see its greatest benefits in the long term..

Portugal would see the greatest direct benefit, having earned an ally across the ocean while gaining a monopoly on New World trade leaving Elysium. Already holding power as a sizeable economic power within European trade, Portugal would become fabulously wealthy from the Treaty of Triozen. Lisbon would become the sole port in Europe where all New World trade would arrive, where wondrous and alien items were brought back across the ocean. Citizens were enriched while the Portuguese crown was completely drowning in the enormous wealth had attained. Merchants thrived within the new economic climate, while the King of Portugal would become wealthier than any of his European counterparts. Maintaining this wealth would become a state secret that must be preserved as long as possible before European curiosity about Portuguese success would eventually lead to Portugal's rivals to encounter the new world.

The treaty was to become the start of a new period of history between both nations. Roman goods and wealth would serve as the fuel to ignite the Portuguese Golden Age, and both had everything to gain and nothing to lose. A friendship that would last centuries would be born from good intentions, and pave the way to the creation of a new world.

The Portuguese enclave would be constructed in a walled-off suburb within the outskirts of the major port of Prosphorion, sitting within the mouth of the Elysian Bay. It would be through the port that all maritime trade into the Elysian Bay going towards the capital would flow through. It would become the perfect place for the construction of the Portuguese enclave, keeping the Europeans active within their small community, which would be named Alcântara after the surrounding town nearby Lisbon.

Portuguese merchants would settle within the enclave with their families, working as sailors and bringing old-world knowledge to the shores of the new world. Alcantara would become the first of many enclaves to emerge in the new world, but it would become the largest European enclave within the Empire for generations to come.

With expansion efforts concentrated northward, the south would be opened up following the integration of the Tuscarora bringing attention to the region. With colonia largely hugging along the Elysian coast through the gradual creation and establishment of maritime settlements along the oceans and rivers, the interior would be carefully mapped out and charted. With Mout Aithia showing strong progress during its construction, where the St Ioannes Monastery acted as the largest of the religious buildings on the holy mountain, Theophilios would regulate a large portion of the economy towards a bold and aggressive pattern to establish colonia in the south.

A concentrated effort would begin to colonize the region to the fringe of the barbaroi territory. Many colonia was to be established along the interior, although largely left without investment and to develop at their own pace, while the empire focused heavily on securing the coastline with new major settlements until attention would be pushed to the interior. It would drastically push colonia resources beyond its limit, but the benefits would result in far more settlements being established in a wild burst instead of a concentrated push.

Hoping to make the most of this aggressive bold tactic, it would push the economy to its current limits. For the time being, aside from Mount Aithia, the empire would remain passive and inward. Architecture and expansion would define the remainder of the decade, where Theophilios II would further push for his grand vision of a blossoming empire.

Theophilios II would begin to see the painting of the grand empire that his predecessors had painted finally take form. What had once been wilderness would be replaced by small villages. Like Augustus in antiquity, Theophilios II would be responsible for transforming Nea Konstantinopolis and the rest of the empire from a city of brick that bloomed into a city of marble. Villages would be turned into cities in an architectural revolution, fueled by the immense wealth of the Empire, as Elysium began to rapidly catch up to the rest of the developed lands of Europe in rapid development. Prosphorion

Scholars would discover a book dating back to the destruction of Carthage, describing the architecture of its famous grand harbor, known as a Cothon. Many of the scholars suggested that much of the information would be exaggerated, due to the tendency of ancient historians, but the design of the Cothon would inspire the Emperor and his architects. The construction and upgrade of a grand harbor within Prosphorion would boost the wealth of its ports tremendously. Using ancient designs and modern architectural inspiration, the Grand Cothon of Prosphorion was to become the centerpiece of an enormous overhaul of the port city. Only ambition and time were the only constraints to Prosphorions potential.

With much of the imperial territories becoming ruled largely by the authority from the capital, the vast lands under jurisdiction would span in all directions from north to south. To ensure the smooth operation of its provinces under the imperial domain, the bureaucracy of the empire would become greatly centralized to ease control. Much to the dismay of the estates due to the restrictive lack of freedoms, it would allow the imperial government easier management and to take a more direct hand in government.

Theophilios had done much during his reign. He had spent much of his early life living within the shadow of a doomed city but now had everything that Theophilios ever wanted in Elysium. He had the love of his life in the form of Aida and the children that he had raised to become the future of their nation. Years would begin to turn into decades, and the youth that had once existed all over his face was fleeting beyond his control. He and Aida were no longer the youthful souls they once were. Their faces had become aged and their hair both turned a flowing silver. Theophilios II still felt like he was only just beginning to begin his work, to construct the crafts he had dreamt about.

He would sit on the throne as the Emperor of the Romans. He wouldn’t live to know that he would be the last of his kind...
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So, first of all, really wanted to say this is quite excellent. I appreciate that you've taken your time with both odyssey and nation-building with Elysia and especially your more narrative interludes.

Secondly, due to those interludes I'm pushing it upon you to nominate next week's Best Character Writer of the Week, for you are chosen this week.

Thank you so very much! I really hope you enjoy the story!

That last sentence worries me. What if this priest and those like him accuse non-Plethonists of being Plethonists by accident? A witch hunt is one of the last things Elysia needs...

That being said, it's nice to see that the religious wars are over... hopefully a united Elysia can emerge from them...

Hopefully, the Plethonists will remain as nothing more than an ugly footnote in history. Hopefully.

Really great story so far -- have never read an AAR from this mod, but it seems really well put together with all the flavor events and such, without railroading the player too much. You're crafting it into an awesome story to boot, look forward to seeing more!

Thank you for your support!

 

[HistoryDude]

It looks like European explorers will arrive soon. Sadly, Elysia doesn't look to be in a good position to reclaim the old empire yet. Maybe an alliance with native powers will help deal with potential colonizers?

How will the Orthodox left in Europe react to this council?

 

[Crimson Lionheart]

Chapter 12: The End of an Era (1487-1492)​

Everything had once started in Palermo. Back in a cloth shop, an unexpected encounter between a prince named Theophilios waited with a strange proposal to an unexpected someone. He sought the help of a woman named Aida, being suggested by her older sister, for help with his accounting. Her numbers and calculations, taught by her father, had been the only reason that their family business had remained afloat in the last few years since his sudden unfortunate passing. An hour earlier, Aida had been devastated by her sister’s sudden departure and was now invited to follow in her footsteps. Without Aurelia, the family business would be doomed to fail. But now a prince had arrived to seek her help. Curiosity would drive Theophilios to meet with her, coming into her life with more earthy interests and driven by a pursuit of knowledge. A first encounter would lead to them meeting, but she quickly gained his attention.

Outside under the warm sunshine of Palermo, the two of them would head towards the enormous fleet that was resupplying in the docks of the harbor. Aida was able to see countless sailors and people around the harbor and on the ships. She could swear that she was able to spot her sister amongst the crowd, standing upon one of the largest ships within the harbor. Her mind would be a flurry of thoughts about her decision. Had she acted too rashly? Did this Prince believe in what he was truly seeking to accomplish? Abandoning the Old World to find refuge and safety in a new one? It didn’t seem to make any sense to her. Not even she could find the reason in her mind to abandon her only home.

Theophilios turned around once he made it to a large ship, the Agia Theotoke, stopping before an elevated gangway. He looked towards the commoner and extended his hand outward to her, inviting her onboard with him. Aida could see her sister speaking to another older man, laughing and appearing smitten with this other man. She looked hesitantly at his hand and what it meant, what it could mean, before taking his hand.

Aida of Sicily, Empress of Rome, would never drop the hand of her future husband again. Over forty years had passed since their awkward first encounter, having grown into an incredibly wise and knowledgeable woman during her years on the throne. She had crossed the oceans into an entirely new world, helping her husband transform wood into stone, crafting wonders, and bringing the spark of civilization at a speed that few had ever expected. Almost all of the exiled souls upon the fleet she had arrived on were resigned to spend the rest of their days living within an impoverished city, suffering the weight of its sickness and despair, only to see Nea Konstantinopolis resemble more of an imperial capital than the old city could ever be. In the end, there was a lot of accounting after all.

Aida would hold onto her husband's hand, surrounded nearby by many of her adult children on the edge of the capital. The aqueduct's latest expansion had finished today, and the commoners have given it an affectionate name. “Aida’s Aqueduct”, they had called it, just as they had referred to the walls of Theophilios. The Empress’s project and sponsored expansion would stretch for miles, transforming it into a defining landmark of the rapidly growing capital.

Aida looked over at her husband for a moment as the commoners cheered their names. Together they had shaped this strange new world into their own. Together they had set the very first stone in which their realm would grow. Fresh water would flow for the first time in a far-flung district of the capital, where both Emperor and Empress would take a cup and drink from it. Their subjects would cheer and join them, but Aida didn’t break the smile and adoration she had for her husband as she looked into each other's eyes. Memories of the time together during the cold nights huddled on the Agia Theotoke and their wedding day would flash through their minds. Even for a single moment, one more, they existed in a world built just for the two of them.

They were not the young souls that they had once been. But they were happy. Fate had been cruel, but sometimes two souls were destined to meet and love each other. Aida was content that she had made the world a better place, something she had never imagined when she was a young girl in Sicily.

Decades earlier, expeditionary scouts had ventured outward in all directions to search for a reliable and easily accessible source of Naphtha. Discovering it in the northeast near the vast Borealian lakes, the Romans would come into contact with the Erie, a local tribe controlling the area who were remarkably friendly and receptive to Roman diplomats and traders. Much like the Powhatan before them, the Erie would accept an incredibly generous trade deal that would see their wealth skyrocket, something which would only be maintained for as long as the tribe remained friendly to the empire.

It had been for nearly twenty years that the Erie had existed within the distant periphery of imperial influence. As long as Roman merchants would source the naphtha, the Empire guaranteed its independence and sent wealth flowing into the tribe. Due to the long relationship between Nea Konstantinopolis and the tribe, when missionaries were dispatched to help convert the natives, it became a resounding success. The Eire would convert to Orthodoxy en-masse. While a part of a military alliance, the Erie was almost a vassal in all but name to the Greeks.

Within ten years of landing in the wild lands of the south, Leonidas I and his army would carve a kingdom through blood and iron in the jungles of Laconia. Conquering many of the local people through strategic brilliance and advanced tactics, along with his elite forces coming to aid the natives, Leonidas’s kingdom could be seen through all levels of their society. Through the destruction of entire native kingdoms, the conqueror would see that his Spartan realm was no more and proclaimed a new kingdom in its place. A proud kingdom, combining both the Hellenic and native words, into the Kingdom of Spartania.

Taking inspiration from their Spartan ancestors while aided with native ingenuity, Spartania would become a regional juggernaut that would be ruled by a strict ruthless caste system. At the top of its social order was the ‘Apogonoi’, the descendants of the ten thousand original spartan warriors, acting as the elite of the martial society. Few in number, the Apogonoi would serve as powerful statesmen and as generals. Along with an allied and converted native aristocracy, occupying top positions within government, church, and military, the native allies to Leonidas would call themselves the ‘Pipiltin’.

Just below them would be the ‘Pochteca’, the merchants, living along the coastline and frequently conducting a trade or naval expeditions. Pochteca merchants would also serve as spies, conducting espionage against the remaining native kingdoms that schemed together to destroy the new kingdom. At the bottom of its society were the ‘Tlacotin’ slaves, usually prisoners of war, used as servants and laborers to conduct the most brutal backbreaking labor for the kingdom. The children of the slaves would be released and join the rest of the population as ‘Macehulatin’, the peasant class of their society, who were destined to serve along the farms.

Leonidas I would seek to conquer the entire region, leading his elite armies and aided by native auxiliaries, to conquer the brutal native empires of the Aztecs and the Mayans. Serving as a Christian king first and foremost, the King also placed much effort on the Christinization of the natives within his kingdom while subjugating them at the same time, taking inspiration from Charlemagne as a ‘civilizing’ force against the brutal pagans. With his elite forces conquering realm after realm, leaving the Pipiltin to govern the region once he moved on to his next target, Leonidas would pursue what would become the defying character of Spartania for the next few centuries. Domination, in all forms. Only through domination both physically and spiritually could Lakonia be tamed, especially against the bloodthirsty Aztecs, whom the King held a special hatred against.

Back across the seas, innovation would run rampant among the brightest of minds, with new developments in the art of glassmaking and metalwork allowing for the creation of more refined scientific instruments. Natural philosophers, astronomers, and chemists would be able to hone their craft with more complex equipment through recent breakthroughs that had given the Empire a scientific edge. Additional abit limited information from Portuguese merchants would also aid the Roman scientists, leading to bounds of innovation that the scientists eagerly awaited to achieve.

Empress Aida would become famous throughout the empire not for her brilliant mind, but for her charming personality and unparalleled kindness. With a heart of gold, a visit with her husband to Troizen would see the Empress witness the suffering of its poorest peasants with her own eyes. Troizen had done much to recover from the Plethonist Revolt, but it also served as the site of the first rebellion of the religious civil war and was largely left destitute. Even decades after the crisis, despite its important location as an important harbor close to Elysian Bay, much of the city had failed to recover following the devastation. As a result, Triozen became a backwater city. Entire suburbs, once home to thriving communities, had been left to decay into slums for the poor.

Since returning to the capital, Aida remained adamant about making things right, drafting a plan to help the most destitute of her subject. Having done the budgeting and accounting through finances herself, the Empress wished to make these ideas into a reality and bring Troizen back into a thriving city. To make these ideas a reality, the Empress requested funds from the imperial treasury.

Feeling responsible for the plight of the subjects, along with Aida’s good nature, Theophilios gave the support that his wife needed to help Troizen. A large-scale relief effort would begin to aid the destitute of the city, while a financial injection into the city’s budget would see the city begin to come back to life. The inhabitants of Troizen would be shocked at the generosity and kindness of their Empress, long having heard stories of her beloved popularity in the capital, and would forever owe their gratitude and respect to her. A large stone of Aida Orsini would be built in the center of town, where it would remain, forever memorialising her beautiful kind spirit.

In times that had long past, the Empire held many fortresses and walled towns, which would prevent enemies from attacking any of its core cities until they had breached every one of the outer castles. In Elysium, the Empire would do the very same, yet it would not be enough to merely build stone walls. The Empire would begin to construct cannons and stout men to ensure that the defenses within Elysium would stand. No enemy, be it barbaroi or foreigner, would lay siege or attack while its valiant defenders drew breath. To desire peace, the empire prepared for war. And with the envy of the world looking towards its shores, Elysium will be prepared.

Almost half a century had passed along within relative isolation. What had once been a refugee camp of exiled souls had given birth to a nation that was well enough developed to be considered a true nation. No longer would the Romans be mere settlers in a foreign land, for the made this land their own and populated it far and wide. The natives would come to see the Greeks and Latins from their exiled world beyond the sea as newcomers, but had now grown accustomed enough to deal with them like equals.

Theophilios II would proclaim the empire, long having prepared for this moment for years, for what many had envisioned as the logical next step. With the Emperor being assisted by a royal council inside the imperial palace for generations, Theophilios II would declare the restoration of the Imperial Senate in Elysium, with its first modern meeting occurring in a recently constructed senate in the later months of 1490.

Led by a hereditary emperor, an elderly Theophilios II would grant substantial power to the dynatoi and provincial governors who comprised much of the ruling class of the Empire. With senators formally only drawn from the oldest families, Theophilios II would reform its structure considerably, allowing the public to follow politicians that they know and feel that they too have a voice in the running of the state. A wealthy commoner with enough political acumen could rise through the administrator to become a governor or senator in their own right should they achieve it. Such a delegation of power would provide a far greater wealth of experience for politicians, with a well-governed and highly stable empire being its own reward.

It was the largest political reform of the reign of Theophilios II and one that would forever enshrine the Emperor into the annals of history. While granting concessions to the new senators that resulted in a sacrifice of a portion of his own imperial authority, Theophilios’s popularity rose astronomically. Now that the Empire was making a true homeland, one that was no longer bound through the suffering of its ancient past, Theophilios II would begin a new chapter in imperial history.

Twenty years of intense financial investment which had almost bankrupted the Empire would eventually pay off, with Mount Aithaia finally being completed. Decades of hard work, with no more stone left to be moved or a wall left to be finished. Its workers could barely believe that the day would ever come, and for a moment, everyone looked up at the holy mountain in silence to look at the wonder they had constructed.

This was merely but a glimpse of what the empire could do together. It was the hands of its people. The minds of its engineers. And the faith of every man, woman, and child. Everything had led to this moment in Elysium. It was perhaps a spark that only a few could see, but now, it was a joyous occasion. An Empire would come together and construct its wonders, building upon its dreams, to admire the work of its splendor. All of those involved in the project would finally understand that perhaps finally, they had made Elysium their home. This was Rome, and yet, this was Elysium.

The Monastery of Saint Ioannes would finally be finished. Pilgrims would travel through the rough Apaleisian roads to reach Mount Aithaia, where after all these years, the thoughts of Mount Athos would still hold a sacred site in their hearts. It would be a place where they could look in the name of their holy faith, one where Elysian Orthodoxy would call home. The icon of Saint Ioannes, the first made in Elysium, would be the central piece that would bring crowds of worshippers to walk the path west. Its location on the top of Mount Aithaia, built to be a place of reflection and prayer, would see a constant influx of travelers that would make it an obligatory stop for every merchant seeking to cross the mountains into the untamed interior beyond the Apalesians.

With its completion, a synod would be called by the Ecumenical Patriarch, which recognized the monastery as finally being finished and officially stated its activity as part an institution of the holy church in Elysium. Theophilios would attend the synod and smile, recognising this as a clear sign of god’s will being performed on the continent. Others would claim that Saint Ioannes himself would follow Christ beyond the Old World and into the new one, guiding the exiled fleet. All of the blessings have been bestowed over the throne and the empire as a whole.

With such a great work of art and engineering, the project would grant a deep knowledge of engineering and construction. Scholars and engineers would work together to shape the land, stone, and wood used to make the first of what was hoped to be many magnificent monuments in Elysium. Such an accomplishment was completed in rapid time, fueled by a pressing attitude to atone for the mistakes of the Plethonist Revolts and given an overabundance in resources and finances, completed so quickly that many engineers felt as if their hands were guided by the Holy Spirit.

No longer were they exiles, finding themselves lost in the wild world they found after their flight. Towers and domes would rise in the mountain, mosaics filling every corner and wall of the monastery, the first of what was hoped to be many across Mount Aithos and its surrounding mountains. Monks and priests would sing in the halls, and thousands kneel in front of the Holy Mountain. No longer were the exiles alone, for they were the builders of a new world. A new land, their land, following the sacred light of Christ.

With their work completed, many of the workers and scholars would make their way down the mountain to begin their pursuit of new wonders to construct. Some would settle at the bottom of the mountain, others would find their way into different corners of the empire. Many had decided to move on to bigger and better things, constructing churches and homes in the thriving urban cities that were dotting the landscape. The monks in the Monastery of Saint Ioannes would be left to reflect in peace, here the priests and monks would remain until the end of days, giving thanks to Saint Ioannes and Christ, on the top of a holy mountain.

Decades of reigning alongside her husband, Theophilios and Aida had spent their lives building a world for themselves and their subjects. For decades, the popular royal couple had ruled the untamed land. Civilization appeared out of nothing from what had been a wilderness, and cities of wood and brick would be transformed into stone. Where plains and forests stood, roads and aqueducts marked the countryside.

In the cold winter of 1491, only one of the two would remain. Theophilio’s consort, the dear Empress of Rome, would pass away from a brief yet devastating illness. On an overcast day, she would rest forever as her funeral took place, her work immortalized in the lands and history of the empire. The beloved empress would be mourned by weeks following her passing. Her children would be left distraught at the sudden loss of their mother, where Aida’s sons and daughters would struggle to cope with her loss for some time, while many of the Emperor’s extended family and friends across the dynatoi would offer their tributes and condolences.

Theophilios would be left completely devastated upon Aida’s death. Aida had told her husband to keep working shortly before he died, hoping to continue all of the designs and plans that the royal couple had hoped to complete. Theophilios would spend evenings completely alone in the imperial palace, strolling across the garden that he and Aida had once planted, or venturing down the hallways in the middle of the night aimlessly. The Emperor would fall into a deep depression that he wouldn’t ever recover from.

Alexios VI Palaiologos, Emperor of Elysium. He would be the first Emperor to be born in the New World. ​

In the early morning of January 23rd 1492, distraught and alone, Theophilios II Palaiologos died of a stroke while sitting in a chair in front of the Imperial Palace. He would die at the age of seventy-two, living just another four months after his wife had died. He would be buried next to her in the imperial palace, and while he had never known it, he would be among the last of the Romans.

With his death, the era of the Masters of the Odyssey would finally come to an end. Gone were the Emperors who had lived through the loss of the queen of cities and their exodus from the old world. An entirely new generation would be born in Elysium who had never known any other world but their own. It would be among the verdant fields of Elysium where the heritage over twenty centuries old would come to an end. The time of the Romans had come to an end.

The time of Elysium was only just beginning.

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It looks like European explorers will arrive soon. Sadly, Elysia doesn't look to be in a good position to reclaim the old empire yet. Maybe an alliance with native powers will help deal with potential colonizers?

How will the Orthodox left in Europe react to this council?

It's only a matter of time before the envy of Europe inevitably sails towards Elysium. For better or worse...

 

[HistoryDude]

Elysia will benefit from that naphtha. Will they use it to make Greek Fire?

The transition from exiles is complete...

I wonder what the Spartan-Aztec Wars will be like...

 

[Crimson Lionheart]

Theophilios II Palaiologos
Lived: March 26th 1420 - January 23rd 1492
Emperor of the Romans: 1469 - 1492
The Third Master of the Odyssey

Theophilios II would become an Emperor during what was perhaps the most crucial period of his nation's history, sitting at the crossroads during a period of exponential growth undergoing a crisis of identity. Theophilios II would rule for the betterment of his subjects while playing an important role in the developmental transformation of the imperial realm into a thriving nation in its own right. Architectural and urban development would grow exponentially under a thriving renaissance movement that had blossomed in full swing, continuing the work of his predecessor Konstantinos XI. Along with his beloved wife Aida, the Emperor would transform what had once been open wilderness into flourishing cities, designing a world that was unrecognizable only just several years earlier. It would be in Elysium that Theophilios II would become the Last of the Romans and among the First of the Elysians.

Theophilos II would be born in the early months of 1420, cousin to future emperor Konstantinos XI, as a member of the Palaiologos. Theophilios would be known for his incredible intelligence, which would quickly shine through at a young age. Known as a grammarist, humanist, and mathematician, Theophilios would be described as a man of ‘noble lineage and deep scholarship’ who made a sharp impression on strangers and visitors who sought his help. Theophilios would help aid his family and nation by organizing logistics while preparing for the exodus from the old world, ensuring that the ships would remain supplied during the flight from Europe.

Making a name for himself among the aristocracy, a routine stop in Palmero would lead Theophilios to meet the love of his life, Aida Orsini. The two of them would deeply fall in love, spending moments that they could with each other during the flight from the old world and upon landing in Elysium. Both of them would become popular among the common people and within imperial society for their innate benevolence and intelligent designs, planning cities and architecture through a shared genius affiliation for mathematics and accountants. Theophilios would be directly responsible for designing the city plan of Nea Konstantinopolis and was highly influential in the design of many of its future landmarks both within the imperial capital and across the rest of the realm. The Theophilian Walls would be named after him, while Aida’s Aqueduct would be designed and named after his wife. The Imperial Palace of Nea Konstantinopolis would be built and designed by Theophilios, where later generations would greatly enrich and expand the boundaries of the palace. The Grand Cothon of Prosphorion and the emerging development and overhaul of the port city would begin redevelopment and construction under Theophilios’s reign.

The future monarch would also play a pivotal role in the finance and construction of the Saint Ioannes Monastery on the top of Mount Aithaia, while making designs and sketches for other architectural designs for buildings and other cities, many of which wouldn’t be constructed till long after his death. Upon his ascension to the throne in 1469, Theophilios II would become associated with many significant events to occur during his reign. The expedition of Belisarios Palaiologos into Lakonia would occur with imperial assistance, along with the rediscovery of the shipwrecked survivors of Kaudia where he would personally travel to the island and sway them diplomatically to the imperial fold. The Varangian Order would be established in a small fiefdom of the Empire, granting autonomy to his influential Varangian guard as an imperial subject.

The most important occurrences during Theophilios II’s reign would occur in the form of the Council of Odessos, which would see the birth of Elysian Orthodoxy within the new world, which would evolve and change as the Elysian-Roman state would expand and grow in size. Isolated from the rest of the world and declaring independence from the Eastern Orthodox Church, Elysian Orthodoxy, and its church would begin to take on an identity of its own that would alter greatly from the Old World in terms of dogma. The religious split between Europe and Elysium would be complete, separated by the oceans, as the Romans of the New World would find their new spiritual identity.

Several years later, after decades of isolation, the discovery and contact with Portuguese explorers and merchants would put an end to the isolation between the separated worlds. Almost forty years of isolation had come to an end, but the encounter would come with discovery and opportunity. Theophilios II would establish a Portuguese enclave, isolated from the rest of his people while offering a grand proposition in the form of diplomatic and trade deals. It would become the start of a pivotal relationship between the two different worlds, where the start of future Elysian and Portuguese hegemony would ultimately take root.

Near the end of his reign and during the twilight years of his life, an elderly Theophilios II would restructure the entire government of his dominion. Having prepared for this moment for years and envisioning it as the logical next step in its destiny, the Emperor would declare the restoration of the Imperial Senate in Elysium, granting substantial powers to the dynatoi and provincial governors who comprised much of the ruling class of the Empire. Reforming the structure of the senate to allow access and opportunities to arise, while allowing for easier governance of the growing realm and higher stability, at the cost of a sacrifice of his own imperial authority. Theophilios II would enjoy a wide amount of support during his reign for his priority on the development of new lands and existing cities while embracing the Renaissance elements to its fullest. The Emperor would remain highly popular among almost all elements of imperial society for making Elysium a true homeland of the Romans, no longer bound through the suffering of its ancient past.

The loss of Aida would devastate Theophilios beyond repair, sending the Emperor into a deep depression that he would never recover from. Before her death, Aida would tell her husband to keep working to continue all of the designs and dreams that the royal couple had hoped to complete. Theophilios would keep himself working for as long as he could, knowing that he would die should the Emperor ever stop. Becoming a ghost of his former self, venturing into the imperial palace completely alone and aimlessly walking down the hallways that he and Aida built, Theophilios would only live for another four months following the death of his wife. On January 23rd, 1492, distraught and alone, Theophilios II Palaiologos died of a stroke while sitting in a chair in front of the Imperial Palace. He would be the last Master of the Odyssey.

Theophilios would be buried in a secure crypt within the confines of the Imperial Palace, beside his wife Aida, which would be sealed away by future emperors to preserve the resting place of the esteemed ruler. Following the completion of the Hagia Theotoke, Theophilios’s remains were exhumed and reburied alongside Saint Ioannes and Saint Konstantinos in an elaborate burial ceremony. Both of the Orsini sisters would be buried near Theophilios, where they would spend their eternal rest with their husbands.

Theophilios would become the only Master of the Odyssey to not be canonized as a Saint, although the Emperor would hold an incredible amount of respect among the Church for his religious patronage and contribution in the form of the Mount Aithaia monasteries and his support for religious reform. Like Augustus before him, Theophilios would spend his life-transforming Rome from a city of brick into a capital of marble.

 

[HistoryDude]

Is there a particular reason why he wasn't canonized, especially given his respect in the Church?

Is that line about Elysian and Portuguese hegemony an indication that Portugal won't be (re)conquered by Elysians trying to restore the Roman Empire? And is it an indication that Elysia and Portugal will share the New World or that Portugal will dominate the Old World?

 

[Crimson Lionheart]

Chapter 13: Something ends, something begins (1492-1495)​

The period of the three emperors, its Masters of the Odyssey, came to an end in the early months of 1492. The legacy of Theophilios II, though marked by his passing, lingered in the collective memory of the people through his position as the leading architect of the burgeoning realm that was still in its infancy. Societal, cultural, and economic shifts that would accompany its ascent within the New World would alter the destiny of the Romans forevermore following the coronation of Alexios VI to the imperial throne, seeking to draw inspiration for his realm that transcended more than mere conquest. Its new emperor would seek to establish a realm characterized by unity, prosperity, and enlightened governance

The transformative period would result in a shift of identity, which had begun ever since the earliest moments upon the establishment of Nea Konstantinopolis, and would see the imperial legacy of the Romans begin to change and adapt to their new homeland. Long having been united under the umbrella identity of being Roman, the myriad of ethnic and cultural polities of the Empire would no longer view itself as the inheritors of an ancient empire. Long having called the lands of Elysium home, it would be through his rule that would forever change his empire and the legacy it would inherit from its ancient forefathers.

Since the first moments the Grand Fleet would arrive in Elysium, the administration of the exiled state had remained extremely ad-hoc in nature. What had once been a complex and extremely robust system of generals, governors, governor-generals and armed tax collectors had disintegrated and ceased to exist over the many long harsh decades of the slow decline of the empire. The sporadic flight of the Romans to Elysium would hardly improve matters, further reducing the capabilities of the already limited number of administrators and military leaders. Nobles would be taken during the flight, hoping to use their theoretical skills to aid the administrative burden, but the reality of the wilderness of Elysium would see the aristocracy instead repurposed to tame a wild and virgin continent. As matters around survival overwhelmed and overcame the simple necessity of bureaucracy, it would be left in steep decline as the imperial state would be left attending to other matters.

With the rise of Alexios VI to the throne, and with the recently established Imperial Senate behind him, the stratification between military generals and civilian governors would be re-established. Alexios VI would become a keen reformist, along with certain members of his court sharing a similar reformist attitude. His first act upon his coronation to the throne would result in the establishment of a new office to guide the expansion of new colonia into wild lands, along with treasury officials being drafted en masse into a new office to mitigate tax fraud and combat corruption.

Alexios VI’s actions would serve as a harsh slap in the face to the system, awakening it to the reality that had slowly adapted to a malignant and inefficient bureaucracy that his father and uncle had left alone to fester under its weight. Senators and governors would enact administrative reforms to modernize the new imperial system under the demand of the Emperor and royal court.

Expeditions undertaken by the Kaudans to the southern islands, and the many potential riches that the region would hold, would bring terrific news to the imperial capital. Against all odds, the people of Lanthanopolis had already managed to establish a small but successful colony on the tropical islands to their south, opening up expansion into the region. This would spark fierce debate in the newly reformed senate on wherever the remote Kaudan administration should retain its autonomy, almost dividing the senate on the matter as the Senators argued for days at a time about the matter.

Members of the senate advocated for a full integration of the Kaudans into the realm, ending their autonomy and thus taking direct control of the southern expansionary efforts. Such senators would argue about the shared heritage of the island with the wider empire as a whole. Others would point out that Kauda had remained an ever-stalwart subject of the empire and acted as a bulwark to the east, further arguing that their integration in their current form would cause the empire to be stretched thin.

Alexios VI would later side with the senators who wished to preserve their autonomy, while also seeking to further control the remote subject and bring them into stronger imperial influence. In doing so, should the region be integrated, the archipelago would be under friendly imperial influence for some time and allow for easier integration. While the senators would view the Emperor’s suggestion as placating to their cause, the majority would see the pragmatism within the decision. Kauda would continue to exist in their current state of affairs as stalwart vassals, while the empire would pay close attention to their expansion across the southern islands.

After almost fifty years of isolation from the rest of the old world, the time had come to see what had become of Europe. Long having remained insular and primarily focused on its immediate surroundings, the Emprie lacked any capabilities nor the interest to venture back across the ocean that had almost put an early end to the odyssey following the Great Storm. To this end, the Empire would request the service of a famous explorer named Pytheas Gregoras. Using both ancient maps from the Romans as well as scattered accounts from the flight from Europe, would intend to lead an expedition of three small ships eastward to explore the coastline and the interior of Europe.

With his ships being completely stocked with supplies and sailors, Pytheas and his expeditionary force would sail outward into the blue horizon before vanishing beyond it. Estimating that the journey would take three years to complete, the explorer remained confident that the old world would be entirely charted upon his return to Elysium. The allure of discovery would be a double-edged blade, one that would be wielded by the empire when the time came to finally reveal itself to the world. Contact with the old world would allow trade to flourish and inventions to spread, but the old world empires would waste little time in claiming Elysia and its vast riches for themselves. All that could be done was to prepare for the inevitable storm that would break as soon as the two different worlds would meet.

Reformist attitudes within the Imperial Senate would see an overwhelming amount of support to fund and support the expansion of bureaucracy outward. Imperial rule would be extended towards the frontier with greater ease, while government modernization would continue with the utmost pace. Provincial autonomy would be reduced as law and order would be extended outward, further centralizing power within Nea Konstantinopolis and empowering regional governors and senators.

With expeditionary efforts undertaken by the Kaudans, the small population of the island and lack of supplies would greatly weaken any efforts for establishing a suitable colonial presence within the southern archipelago. Looking to help provide economic support to their tiny subject, Kauda would receive backing from the empire to subsidize any colonial efforts. As long as they would not remain in debt, the economic investment would guarantee oversight of a presence in the archipelago, which would be named Kykladia.

With Kaudan colonists arriving at the Kykladian Isles, settlers among the colonia would quickly come into the presence of a strong Portuguese presence settling among the archipelago. Several thousand Portuguese settlers, merchants, sailors, and soldiers would settle in the region and quickly come into an uneasy relationship with Kauda. Both sides would claim to be encroaching onto each other, while the native population of the island would be stuck in the middle between them.

Despite the strong relationship with the Portuguese which had come into fruition over the past few years, the Empire would be put in a difficult diplomatic position on how to proceed and whom to support. Opinion would once more divided among the Senate between a Pro-European and Pro-Elysian camp within politics. Alexios VI would remain firmly positive on supporting the European faction, but didn’t want to compromise should the situation escalate. Portuguese colonial governors would remain cautious and anxious, showing a similar attitude to the Romans of Elysium.

Long having remained a part of a dormant aspect of the imperial army due to their extremely limited numbers, horses would return to the main continent for the first time in thousands of years following their local extinction in minuscule numbers. Holding barely more than a very precious few that survived the Great Storm, attempts at breeding establishments across the empire would see little success due to a population and genetic bottleneck that almost saw the equine population extinguished. Once contact with Portugal was established, demand for horses quickly was one of the top priorities of livestock between the two worlds. The Portuguese would supply the Empire with a growing equine market, where the Romans would pay enormous amounts of money to establish a strong and sustainable equine population of their own in their world for both military and agricultural purposes.

Iberian horses would arrive in Elysium through the crucial port city of Prosphorion and the Portuguese exclave of Alcântara, arriving in greater numbers over the next few years until an entirely self-sufficient population would be established. Decades after arriving and maintaining care of the limited equines they had, the stable population of horses would allow the Empire to finally establish their native population. Generals and military commanders would be overjoyed, finally being given the chance to formally introduce true cavalrymen into the army.

From the beginning of 1493, the first Elysian Cataphracts would be established. Armed and armored in the old style, in scale and chain, the super-heavy riders would be armed to the teeth with maces, lances, and bows. Nearly impervious to any blows the natives could strike, a calvary charge by the Cataphracts would be enough to frequently end battles. As a result, the Cataphracts would gain an infamous reputation that served as the tip of the spear in battle.

Long having remained the dominant power within the continent, the imperial army was only prepared to battle and counter native forces on the terrain of Elysium. Despite the current prowess and discipline of its forces, the imperial army in its current form could not compare to the mass armies of the European powers. Its small size and limited options would bring the foremost military minds of the empire to agree upon modernization and reformist movements within the army, and now that the time was now right, a complete overhaul of the current system would be needed to reform the military into something far more less ad-hoc.

Engaging with the brightest minds of the army, Alexios VI would push for the restoration and use of a renewed theme system to be applied within the New World. The system would grant recruits land on the frontier in exchange for service, simultaneously securing a steady source of well-trained individuals and enhancing the defense of any colonia across the frontier. The Emperor and the Senate would anticipate resistance from the dynatoi, as such a reform would curtail their own territorial ambitions.

In addition to the reformation of the system, the Imperial Army would transition into a professional standing army. Much like the Romans of old, soldiers of the new army would undergo rigorous training and strict discipline akin to the ancient Legionaries. When not fighting a battle, recruits, and soldiers would be training and honing their skills. It would take several years for the changes to be fully implemented across the width of the empire, but the reorganization was to ensure completely to both Elysium and Europe that the Empire had soldiers worthy of protecting it.

Three years after his expedition had begun, Pytheas would return to his homeland. With the help of ancient sources and making an uneventful voyage, in stark contrast to the previous attempt to journey across the sea, his small collection of ships would arrive off the coast of Ireland. Gaining knowledge of or visiting firsthand many different kingdoms and republics across the continent, the majority of the old world that had changed drastically in their absence, Pytheas’s presence would cause political shockwaves across the nobles of Europe. It was confirmation that the Roman flight from Europe hadn’t ended in disaster and that they had survived, which only caused further curiosity. Pytheas became a celebrity among the courts of Europe, where he would spend much of his time gathering information before eventually returning home.

Upon his long-awaited return, Pytheas would chart the maps of Europe and reveal his knowledge of what had occurred to the wider realm. Pytheas’s deeds would ensure him the position of admiral within the imperial navy, should he choose to serve. Instead, Pytheas would seek to continue his expeditions into the unknown lands beyond Elysium to chart the rest of the world, all with the backing of the empire's coffers. The Emperor would grant this immediately, and just as soon as he arrived back in Elysium, Pytheas immediately set sail once more into the unknown.

The political realities of the old world would fascinate the Empire to no end, learning about what had occurred to the world that had been left behind. Western Europe had seen the rise of England through the total conquest of Ireland and much of Scotland, where they had become a formidable maritime power. Britannia seemed to be inevitably ruled from the halls of power in London.

France and Burgundy would be locked into a bitter rivalry, frequently fighting each other in brutal wars. Burgundy would seek to destablise a powerful rival that threatened their grip over the region, while France sought to throw the Burgundians out of the French lands entirely and permanently cement its position as the dominant power in Western Europe.

In the fractured lands of Iberia, what had once been the powerful kingdom Aragon would be shattered apart by Castile and France, splintering the region apart while France gained a stronger Mediterranean foothold. Portugal had changed little but would seize control of the Pillars of Hercules from the declining Granadan emirate. Only through alliances with stronger powers and blind luck would the Muslim entity continue to survive to the end of the century in-tact. Castile remained powerful but fragile, having long suffered under rebellions and a civil war that almost destroyed the kingdom. It would be difficult to tell who would unify the Iberians, but whatever power that accomplished the task would be in a powerful position to exert their influence far beyond the peninsular.

On the other side of the Mediterranean, Pytheas would closely follow what had become of the ancestral homeland of Hellas. The Turks had conquered the old city, as expected, but had struggled in outward expansion from Anatolia. Venice would hold onto the Peleoponesse, but it was expected that it was doomed to fall in time, as the Ottomans had proven to be a superior enemy. The other Beyliks would be protected by the Mamluk Sultanate and the other Turkomans within the region.

Pytheas would anticipate, long after he would pass on, that the coming century would see one of these powers attain dominance over the other. The Near East and the cradle of Islam was to be ruled by one of these powers.

Within the realms of central europe, the Holy Roman Empire would be split among the divided princes that would live under the shadow of the heavyweights of the region. The Habsburgs of Austria, ruling a personal union over Hungary, was a diplomatic and military power. Bohemia, still suffering under the legacy of the Hussite wars, had reembraced Catholicism to preserve its position under the threat of its destruction. Next to both of them was the colossus of the Slavic world, the Poland-Lithuanian Union, that dominated Eastern Europe. Perhaps the strongest entity in continental Europe, its powerful economy and military was only limited by the number of enemies it had made through its conquests.

Further to the east, the lands of the Rus would be divided between the harsh rivalry of Muscovy and Novgorod. Split between the powerful monarchy and republican governments, both of them would be split between a rebounding Tatar threat and that of other great powers. Within the next century, the Rus would be unified under one of these powers, yet the destiny of the region remained a giant unknown.

Despite the many successes and trials that the Romans within Elysium had experienced, it had become clear for some time that the Empire that they had inherited was stagnating. Alexios VI was sure of local dominance over the local Barbaroi and the Vinlanders in the north, but the Emperor was sure of that the stagnation within his realm was to only lead to a slow agonizing death over time. The advisors and senators had claimed that was the fate of the old empire in Europe, of how even the Franks would surpass them in the end.

Only through introducing new reforms, encouraging new philosophers and investing in new radical technologies could the fate of the empire be changed. Only then could the specter of slow death be prevented. With the empire no longer limited in its resources of manpower, and developed enough to stand alone, the crisis of stagnation and identity would finally come to a permanent change

Fifty years since the arrival on Elysium, the refugees that had arrived on its shores had been separated from its homeland for generations. Almost nobody alive from the Grand Fleet could remember the time when the ancient empire had sat astride at the crossroads between two different worlds. Long having called the verdant bountiful lands of Elysium home, a great societal change would occur where many would reject their Roman heritage. Laborers, scholars, and priests would no longer hold the mere word ‘Roman’ with the same respect that it once carried. Hearts of men would wander far from a home they would never know and gravitate to the lands that they would grow up in.

Elysium was an entirely different place than the old world, where men and women knew nothing beyond Elysium to care much for the ‘Roman’ name that had been perverted and bastardized by every institution in Europe and beyond. Little would care about the world that they would leave behind, whereas men and women who would identify and call themselves ‘Elysian’ rather than ‘Roman’ do not care at all for the corpse of an empire that they had left behind. It was in Elysium that they had found peace, and to cling onto the name of a dead empire or to care about the decaying East was beyond their concern. It was better to cultivate the green and pleasant land that they had called home than to sail back across the same sea that their ancestors were driven out from at the tip of the sword.

Many would rail against this, taking pride in the heritage of an empire that was thousands of years old. Vengeance burned in their hearts and they saw it as a duty, as the last of their kind, to return to their ancestral homeland and make things right. Some men have nothing left except their identity as citizens of the ancient empire and refuse to give it up.

The Emperor and his subjects had been in Elysium for many decades, and finally, the senate had put forth the question about the identity of the nation. Why should they, the inheritors of the true empire, return to Europe? Why should the Empire undertake a massive undertaking to invade an entrenched enemy to gain a foothold surrounded by powers that had never been sympathetic to the Romans? The senators looked towards verdant Elysium as the only true homeland that they would ever need, and that as a whole, the empire should look inward instead of backward.

Alexios VI would only ever know of Elysium. It was here that he was born and grew up, listening to his parent's stories of what the old world they had grown up in was like. He was a part of the many souls that felt that the destiny of his people would lay inward, to tame the wilderness of the vast continent to build a new home in a new promised land. Despite claiming the mantle and being the inheritor of the Romans, Alexios VI would make a natural yet highly controversial decision that would reverberate through history. The Empire would abandon its Roman heritage, and after centuries of long decline, the dream of the Romans had come to a peaceful end.

The Elysian Empire after its proclamation, January 25th 1495. ​

Alexios VI and the Imperial Senate would declare the proclamation of the Elysian Empire on January 25th 1495, symbolically closing a long chapter of history. By remaining proud of their ancient imperial legacy as the inheritors of the Romans, the new Elysians would not see their Roman identity as something that would define them as a people. They were to be something entirely new, no longer bound to the failures and shackles of their past. Elysia was to carry the torch of their Roman forefathers into a new era. It was the start of a new chapter in history.

And it was to be the start of something magnificent.

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Finally, the Elysian Empire is born! It's been a long time coming, thank you to my readers who have been enjoying the story so far. Now is the time for where the AAR will really start to pick up momentum

Is there a particular reason why he wasn't canonized, especially given his respect in the Church?

Is that line about Elysian and Portuguese hegemony an indication that Portugal won't be (re)conquered by Elysians trying to restore the Roman Empire? And is it an indication that Elysia and Portugal will share the New World or that Portugal will dominate the Old World?

Theophilios II probably didn't fit any of the requirements for canonization, although truthfully I'm not too familiar with how Sainthood works in Orthodoxy.

Elysia and Portugal will play an important role in the new world, but I won't reveal too much for the sake of the story. I will say that the start of something special will occur between two nations

 

[HistoryDude]

The theme system should protect the borders...

The abandonment of a Roman identity will probably help relations with European powers...

Europe is revealed! I think the most interesting parts of that are that Spain isn't unified, and France and Burgundy have a rivalry (mostly because I'm surprised Burgundy still exists). Everything else seemed normal to me.

 

[Historywhiz]

What fascinates me is that Candar’s borders tell me that the Ottomans must have lost a war at some point. They clearly have struggled, and while I doubt the question would have occurred to the Elysians of this story, I think it probable Byzantium actually could have survived in some form had they stayed.

And go Novgorod! Always like seeing it do well!

 

[Apelstav]

I've fallen behind, and alas remain so still, but the end of Theophilos and Aida was really well written. Hat's off!

 

[TWR97]

I suppose it's for the best that Elysium abandoned its Roman heritage for now, it'd help make them stronger in the long run, especially with the Ottomans there still struggling to become the top dog in their area. Also it's nice to see Novgorod still up and about, would be interesting to see if they get to form Russia in this timeline this time around.

 

[Crimson Lionheart]

Chapter 14: The Treaty of Elpida (1495-1504)​

The cultural and political transition of the empire would be complete, as the transformative period over the last several decades would lead to the reorganization of the Eastern Roman Empire into the Elysian Empire. Shedding their former identity as merely just ‘Romans’ would become cathartic to many of its people, embracing the new identity that came along with their new nation and its values. A sizable minority that would cling back to the ancient heritage of the old empire would hold onto this with their dying breath, holding onto whatever ounce of vestigial claims had once belonged to the Romans. In the current reality of creating a new identity beyond that of the Romans, Elysia would still hold onto the ancient heritage of their ancestors, more than willing to establish the third Rome in the new world that now bore the name of the people who inhabited it.

The Kykladian Archipelago, the islands to the south of the furthest frontier of the empire, had undergone a considerable shift in recent decades. The arrival of both Portuguese and Kaudan settlers in the region, along with the relative isolation from the rest of the empire and the wider new world as a whole, had resulted in the Kaudan settlers in the region adopting some of the more native customs of the native Taino. Much of the Taino, some of whom had converted to Orthodoxy and joined the wider Kaudan community, had brought a form of ancestor and nature worship that would come to polytheise with their own Christian beliefs on a small scale.

This would lead to the creation of numerous small communities being divided along ancestral lines, with a focus on maritime trade and piracy. Like the Elysians, the Kaudans would see a considerable shift of cultural and political identity that would see their identity transform. Within a few months, Kauda would shed its identity to become Kykkladian. The Kykladian settlers would begin to thrive in areas that the Portuguese settlers, rapidly colonizing the archipelago outward with the wider financial backing of the Elysians on the mainland.

Further exploration in charting the Kykladian Isles southward towards the wild lands of the far south would continue, with Elysian explorers still holding the hope of discovering the mythical lakes of naphtha spoken of by the natives. One of these expeditions would finally bear some fruit, with a monumental discovery of a Naphtha lake on the southwestern side of a discovered island. No historical records going back to ancient times would ever speak of such large deposits, which would discover such a vast amount of naphtha immensely important.

With such an immense distance between the capital and the island, along with the difficulty of transporting the Naphtha during the journey, would bring the senate into discussion on how to proceed. It was agreed that the island would be settled without question, but a significant native population on the island would require a large military presence on the island until a colonia on the island could be fully established. The senate would begin to debate on either securing the island or striking a deal with the locals, deeming it far too important for either the Portuguese or natives to acquire.

Elysian missionary efforts would result in an astonishing success, with the conversion of the remote Penawapskewi to Elysian Orthodoxy, located between the two frontiers of both Elysia and Vinland. Following a devastating Viking raid against the barbaroi tribe that decimated their numbers and wealth, the natives would ally themselves with Elysia after fearing for their independence and newfound faith from encroaching Norse raiders

As the emerging discovery of Elysia and the wider continent of Elysium that it resided on would begin to spread across the old world, the emerging network of trade between the two continents would start to spread between the ports of the two different worlds. Exotic foods from Elysium would begin to rapidly spread into the courts and lands of Europe with wild fascination, with some treating goods such as maize and tomatoes as luxury items rather than food. Equally, an Elysian desire for livestock from the old world would become highly desired, as fields would begin to be filled with cows, donkeys, and horses, making manual labor far easier for all.

All of the treasures and wealth of Elysium would begin to arrive in the old world, and the envy of merchants and princes everywhere looked towards Nea Konstantinopolis. Lands in Elysium that had once been deemed useless for agriculture and now be tilled and used almost all year around, resulting in an agricultural explosion as food availability both in Elysia and across the world over would be far greater than ever before.

Shortly after the arrival of the exiled Romans onto the shores of Elysium, the newfound settlers would discover the natives of the continent practicing some form of slavery. These slaves would include captives from wars and slave raids between tribes, children being sold by their parents during famine, and in some cases, adopting captives to replace members they had lost. As the early settlements on Elysium grew, slavery began to take a new form on the wider continent, as European contact with the new world would greatly influence slavery in scale. Early in its history, the Romans of Elysium would tolerate slavery among the integrated natives but made it more restrictive, requiring that all enslaved barbaroi were to be treated well, paid, and converted to Orthodoxy, but also allowed already enslaved natives to be bought and exported across the empire and the Kykladies if they had already been enslaved.

Long having existed as an unofficial facet of life within Elysium, slavery would officially be signed into law and institutionalized following the proclamation of the Elysian Empire in 1495. Slaves would be imported from Africa, which created a triangular trade system. Europe would sell textiles, rum and manufactured goods to Africa, Africa would sell slaves to Elysium, and Elysium would sell cotton, sugar, and tobacco to Europe. The first slaves would be sent across the Empire into large slave plantations that produced cash crops.

Slavery would come to play an important role in society and the economy, as the concept would come to evolve in the new world and take a life of its own. The demand for slaves would skyrocket as the empire would evolve both politically and socially, and the nature of slavery on the continent would become an ugly matter for many generations to come.

Long having to enter into a friendship between the two nations, the Portuguese and Elysians would agree to a formal military alliance between each other to assist in times of war. Furthering the bond between the empire and the Portuguese, Alexios VI requested a royal marriage between his realm and the Kingdom of Portugal. This marriage would become the first of its kind, as monarchs from both the new and old worlds would be wed. The eldest daughter of the emperor, Anastasia, would marry the unwed Portuguese crown prince. Both were of similar age and took a liking to each other, deepening the bonds between the Elysian and Portuguese from being an economic alliance into an alliance bound by blood and holy matrimony

The relationship between the two nations would further skyrocket and strengthen the legitimacy of the young royal couple, bringing the two realms together. Anastasia would convert to Catholicism and be wed in Lisbon. Many foreign advisors and observers would document and take note of the exotic ‘Greek’ princess from across the ocean. With a Palaiologos married into the royal family, the bond of brotherhood only continued to grow.

As Elysia thrived further to the south, the thriving jarldom of Vinland would be discovered by Europe and spark a wave of fascination as the last remnant of the Viking era that had once plagued the old world. The eagerness among merchants of northern delicacies and luxuries would come to overlook the paganism that was still practiced in the Jarldom. What would leave an impression upon the distant lands would be the fishing market, where the cold waters of Thorfinn Bay and the Gulf of Erikkson were flushed with fish beyond counting. With their regional economy skyrocketing over their dominance on the fishing markets, the Norse would channel their newfound wealth into expansion across the cold lands to the far north.

The merchants of the capital, rich from the trade that would pour into and out of the city, would come before the imperial court with an interesting proposal. With Pyneas ventures into the old world, a small number of wealthy Elysians would make the long journey across the ocean to see the sights and marvels of the world they had left behind. They would encounter the famed Arsenal of Venice in person and the ships mass-produced there, and inspired by the descendants of the Venetians that accompanied the Greeks in their exile, wished to build a second arsenal in Elysia.

Alexios VI would remain skeptical about the finances required for such a project. Such an expensive project was enough to bankrupt much of the empire, but it would allow the Empire to mass produce warships, trading vessels, and all manner of shipborne armaments on a scale that would never be seen. The merchants had already come up with blueprints, wishing to begin construction of the project alongside the enormous redevelopment of the harbor district of Prosphorion, serving as a larger extension of the Cartheginian-inspired Grand Cothon that was under construction. In addition, not bound within the constraints of land unlike in the densely crowded Venice, the ‘Arsenal of Elysia’ had room to grow and expand along the harbor. With the enormous redevelopment of Prosphorion’s harbour, alongside an existing fortress in the city, would transform the mouth of the Elysian Bay into an impenetrable fortress upon whom its naval might alone could rival entire kingdoms.

The Emperor would put aside these plans for the time being, citing the extreme expenses required for the project weren’t a high priority. The project would inspire a member of the imperial family to pursue the Arsenal and the wider Prosphorion development as his passion project. Prince Konstantinos, eldest son to Alexios VI and heir to the throne, was deeply passionate about naval matters and wished to unlock the hidden potential for Elysia to someday rule the waves. If his father wouldn’t pursue the plans during his reign, then the young and eager Konstantinos was more than happy to abide with the like-minded merchants.

In the faraway lands of the Rus, where only the most seldom of news would ever reach the Elysians, the Grand Principality of Muscovy would see its economy collapse under its weight. With its coffers drained from the loss of multiple wars, including a particularly devastating conflict against the Republic of Novgorod, along with poor harvests and the ambitions of opportunistic princes to change the status quo, the incurring debt that had accumulated within Muscovy would eventually reach the point of no return.

Shortly after the bankruptcy of the Grand Principality, what had taken generations to build would quickly come undone as Muscovy collapsed. Many of its minority regions, from the Ugric and Tatars, would break away from the collapsing state. Separatism would become rampant within the principality, and blood was smelt in the water as Muscovy’s ambitious neighbors swarmed around it like sharks. Wherever it liked it or not, Muscovy’s brief time in the sun had come to an end.

With control over the sea passage into Nea Konstantinopolis assured, many among the dynatoi and the Arte dei Defini wished to cement the dominance of the empire by creating twin statues at the mouth of the Seagate that crossed into Prosphorion and the wider Elysian Bay. Several plans would be made up for giant stone statues of guardians, doubling as lighthouses, to be built on both sides of the bay. Construction was expected to take several years, but when completed, the Guardian Statues of Seagate was to become the glorious entryway into the Elysian Bay.

The lighthouses would finish construction by the end of 1498 when much of the imperial economy would be diverted to the finance of the Guardian statues. Its enormous cost was the result of its immense height, with both statues standing at sixty meters tall and constructed from stone and limestone imported from Europe alongside other local materials. Both of the statues would be the tallest buildings in Elysium for centuries and alongside the St Ioannes Monastery on Mount Aithaia would become two of the growing ‘Wonders’ of the New World.

By the turn of the century, an expansionist drive would see colonia being expanded in droves along the southern territories of the frontier between the Empire and the distant barbaroi lands to the south. With a heavy push to settle into the region, the imperial economy wasn’t strong enough to support an overextension of simultaneous establishments of colonia without risking a potential financial crisis. For several years, a bold and risky strategy would be implemented, one that would send the economy into a brief deficit with the hopes that the new settlements would return its investment into the wider empire.

Such a strategy would result in the Empire prioritizing major colonia along its immediate frontier, maintaining the key regions, while settlers would overextend themselves into the frontier to claim the interior lands without imperial support or supplies. Once any major region was settled, imperial attention would turn to the semi-developed villages or cities that would arrive in the region and develop them from there, while repeating the process within relative proximity to mitigate any potential barbaroi incursions. It was an extremely expensive gamble, which should it pay off, would double the territorial gains within a shorter timeframe.

Within the first few years, much of this strategy would begin to pay off as a permanent Elysian presence would start to push towards the southern tribal lands with ferocious speed and settlement, at the cost of pushing the economy into deficit for several years. Such an expansion method, while effective, proved to be far too expensive to maintain and would be scrapped for organized methodical expansion instead.

With its small meager population, the Kykladian settlers would be overwhelmed and outnumbered by the larger Portuguese colonists who would rapidly settle much of the surrounding territory in droves. Despite the strong relationship between Elysium and Portugal, disputes over the archipelago would trouble diplomacy within the nations for quite some time. In the years since re-established contact with the Portuguese, along with recent breakthroughs in European ship designs that would allow them to map the coastline of the great continent to the south, their zeal for exploration would begin to alarm their new Elysian allies. Seeking to prevent the escalation of the matter, something would have to be done.

The Imperial Senate would become wary of unchecked Portuguese expansion within the Kykladies, an important region that would be claimed by both Elysium and the Portuguese due to its immense economic and strategic value. Alexios VI and the Senate would invite Portuguese ambassadors to Elpida to sign a treaty that would restrict Portuguese settlement to the southern continent, barring them from the Kyklades. In return, the demand would be reciprocated. As the Portugese would not be able to form any colonies on the continent of Elysium, the Elysians would neither be able to form their own colonies on the southern continent, which Elysian cartographers would name Arkadia.

Thus, the New World would be divided between the Elysians and Portuguese, north and south. In a gesture of goodwill, Portuguese-flagged vessels would be allowed to resupply in Elysian ports a reasonable fee that was far more affordable than other European vessels. Ambassadors of both nations would conclude their meeting before returning home, anxiously waiting for a response

When the Portuguese returned with their response, an overwhelming majority of the kingdom agreed with the favorable terms. Arkadia would be seen as a far more lucrative region for the fledging colonial power to establish their presence upon. The Treaty of Epidia would be ratified on May 19th 1499. Its signatories would be Emperor Alexios VI of Elysia, King Henrique I of Portugal, Archon Alexios I of Kykladia, and Viceroy Miguel Goncalves of Caraibas. With this treaty, everything would change.

Once taken into effect, the Portuguese colonial administration of Caraibas would prepare their belongings and leave the archipelago, relocating both itself and the population of the colony southward onto a suitable region within Arkadia that already had a Portuguese presence The process of relocation would take until the end of 1499, when families and merchants would leave behind their homes and be moved to the Arkadia. Small towns that had been built since their arrival were left as deserted ghost towns, later to be inhabited and settled by the natives of the island and the stubborn settlers who refused. Caraibas and all of its progress as a fledgling colony would be abandoned, and now given the right to settle the region, Kykladian settlers quickly too off where the Portuguese had left off.

Portugal would remain the empire’s stalwart ally and trading partner, prompting other colonial powers to view them with envy and distrust as Portugal maintained its monopoly on goods from Elysium. Diplomatically, this would alienate the Portuguese from the European sphere of influence for as long as the treaty remained in place. With the riches of Elysium flowing solely into Lisbon, and with the Elysian Empire thriving under its modernization and expansionist efforts, the other European powers would be compelled to think twice before challenging the combined might of their empires.

With the Treaty of Eipida being signed and ratified into effect, Lisbon became the only port approved for foreign trade while also signing into the division between Elysium and Arkadia. Due to its position as the only port in Europe where the exotic Elysian goods arrived, ships from all over Europe would arrive en mass to have a portion of that wealth for themselves. This would concern the Portuguese, as the Treaty of Eipida and the Treaty of Troizen both gave them exclusive trade rights .

The small Portuguese enclave of Alcântara, a walled-off suburb on the outskirts of Prosphorion, would be greatly expanded to accommodate the influx of new merchant families from Portugal to settle. Simply known as the Portuguese quarter of the city, the sizable European community would bring immense wealth to the developing Prosphorion. Within a few years, Alcântara would grow within the confines of its walls and extend outward into the wider city.

As foreign ships arrived in Elysium, the senate would put its foot down on the matter. The treaties would be upheld with Portugal, and foreign merchants would be expelled from Elysium. Some of the merchants, after having arrived from the long journey across the Atlantic, weren’t welcome to stay and refused to leave. This would start a diplomatic incident where some German merchants barricaded themselves, resulting in a standoff between the imperial army and the frustrated merchants that lasted for over a week before the merchants were starved out.

Alexios VI would take to the matter with some aggression, much to the hostility with Europe about having their merchants expelled. The Treaty of Eipida would give Elysia the legal backing to enforce the treaty in whatever matter it pleased. European merchants would leave Elysium and be forced to conduct their trade within Portugal, for as long as the status quo would remain

Within Southern Germany, disapproval of the Catholic Church began to spread as a result of the increasing corruption of monks and clerics within the church. For several decades, discontent began to be spread about the Papacy and the wider Church falling into severe corruption and greed. These voices began to be raised questioning the current principles of the church, and shortly after the turn of the century, these voices would finally be heard. A monk in Munich, long having expressed deep concerns with the corruption of Christendom, would openly declare his discontent with the wider church. This would pave the way towards a reformation of the faith, as voices that had long been silent about the matter started to turn into shouts that the Papacy could no longer ignore.

Through decades of expansion and using its economic potential to act as a furnace for its growth, the Elysian Empire would become recognized as a great power in its own right among the eyes of the world. Despite its meager size, Elysia had a powerful army and navy that could punch about its weight. But its true strength would not lie within its military but through its raw potential.

In generations, Elysia had the potential to make the rest of the world tremble at the sound of their might. The glory of Elysia would soar above the horizons, and the torch of civilization that it had inherited from their ancestral forefathers would illuminate every corner of the world. If given enough time, the world would be theirs for the taking.

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The theme system should protect the borders...

The abandonment of a Roman identity will probably help relations with European powers...

Europe is revealed! I think the most interesting parts of that are that Spain isn't unified, and France and Burgundy have a rivalry (mostly because I'm surprised Burgundy still exists). Everything else seemed normal to me.

Embracing their new identity as Elysians seemed like a natural logical step, especially since the identity of 'Roman' is bastardized by every institution within Europe. Elysia will succeed where the Byzantines had failed.

Iberia tends to struggle in my playthroughs, while everywhere else in Europe does well. Western Europe will be important to look at within the next century coming up.

What fascinates me is that Candar’s borders tell me that the Ottomans must have lost a war at some point. They clearly have struggled, and while I doubt the question would have occurred to the Elysians of this story, I think it probable Byzantium actually could have survived in some form had they stayed.

And go Novgorod! Always like seeing it do well!

I suppose it's for the best that Elysium abandoned its Roman heritage for now, it'd help make them stronger in the long run, especially with the Ottomans there still struggling to become the top dog in their area. Also it's nice to see Novgorod still up and about, would be interesting to see if they get to form Russia in this timeline this time around.

Wooo! Go Novgorod! You can do it! We believe in you!

The Ottomans have struggled even with their insane buffs. Venice and the Mamluks are a lot stronger in 1.36, and with strong neighbors around them, the Turks are probably boxed in. Unless they get lucky, I believe they will have trouble. It doesn't help that during the flight, Constantinople's development was slashed as most of the city was purposely razed.

I've fallen behind, and alas remain so still, but the end of Theophilos and Aida was really well written. Hat's off!

Thank you!

 

[HistoryDude]

Honestly, with the collapse of Muscovy, Novgorod arguably has the best chance to form Russia. I'd love to see that.

Can you use that naphtha to make more Greek Fire?

Given that Vinland was never abandoned, why wasn't there a bit of exchange between Europe and the Americas already? Also, how has Vinland sustained its population, given that it lost contact with all of Europe? Does the mod have lore about when it lost contact? I'm just curious here.

 

[Crimson Lionheart]

Index: Masters of the Odyssey

Within the first half-century since its foundation, Elysium was guided by the reign of two different emperors and one that had never survived the journey to the new promised land of the Romans. These men would all leave the Queen of Cities together on a journey that would take them to the furthest edge of the old world and beyond. The miseries of a bygone era had threatened to destroy their people and heritage, but it would be thanks to them, that a beacon of light that had flicked among the embers for so very long would be reignited.

The Latins that were brought among the Grand Fleet, confused with the intricate systems of Roman titles, had originally come up with a temporary solution for the matter during the exodus, ‘Maestro’. A curious and originally intended name crafted during the journey would characterize the defining three men who spearheaded the exodus from Palia Konstantinopolis. Ioannes, Konstantinos, and Theophilios would come to be known in history as the Masters of the Odyssey. It would be these three that would define much of the early history from the Romans onward to its evolution as Elysians.

Ioannes, Master of the Old World:

The First Master of the Odyssey, Ioannes VIII would sacrifice everything to give his people a chance. Much like Moses, Ioannes would never survive to see his people arrive in their promised land. His life would be fraught with the struggle of reconciliation of foreign courts and enemies to protect Constantinople against the omnipresent threat of the Turks. His life would both be mired with tragedy and failure, where the abandonment of the old world for his righteous cause would cause Ioannes’s attention to turn inward rather than outward.

It would be the discovery within the Imperial Library along with an enthusiasms and fiery ambition that had not been seen within his eyes for years which would transform Ioannes into a true leader. Ceaseless planning, endless preparation, and the deconstruction that would undo the Queen of Cities would lead the Romans to the edge of the known world and into the great beyond.

Ioannes would become the architect of the grand vision that was to become Elysium. Until his dying breath, he would stand as a defender of the faith and a protector of his people. After searching for an opportunity for his entire life, instead, an opportunity would search for him. Reflection and debates about the nature of Ioannes’s ambition and the series of events that led to the arrival in Elysium would be discussed for centuries after his natural death. Much of it would be attributed to divine intervention acting through Ioannes, to act as the Moses of his era, to protect the chosen people of the lord out of the razor's edge of oblivion.

Ioannes VII would be canonized as an Orthodox Saint in 1450, becoming the first saint of the new world and acting as the Empire’s holy shield against the tide of destiny. He would be remembered as the last Emperor in Palia Konstantinopolis and as the posthumous founding father of Elysia.

Konstantinos, Master of the New World.

The Second Master of the Odyssey, the legendary Emperor of the Exiles would become the patron saint and guardian of the new Rome that he guided to its home in Elysium. A stoic hero, holding the cross that was the fate of his empire and fought against every odd to give his people Elysium. Becoming a pivotal figure within the history of the Elysians, Konstantinos would become the leader that his broken subjects needed. Even in the new promised land, Konstantinos had never expected himself to rule.

Carrying the mantle of leadership following the loss of his brother, Konstantinos would fight for the betterment of his subjects despite the difficulties of overburdened and struggling people upon landing in the new world. A competent and stoic leader, the Emperor would focus his efforts inward to building a sustainable home to encompass the Elysian Bay. Investing heavily into forging unity in laws, customs, and justice while laying the building blocks for his nation, Konstantinos would thrive as a competent yet stoic leader among his people in the years that would follow.

Konstantinos would be remembered as the protector of the faith during the short yet brutal period of the Plethonist Revotls, where a paganist attempt to overthrow the Empire would be put down at a heavy cost. Having spent much of his life fighting a war, both in a literal and in a personal sense, Konstantinos would carry the troubles of his realm alongside him. Through him, animosity would give way to brotherhood, and the verdant lands of Elysium were given to them.

Konstantinos XI would be canonized in 1528, becoming the patron saint of the Elysians alongside his guidance and efforts to protect Christianity during the Plethonist Revolt. He would be the second and last Master to be canonized as a saint and as the first Emperor of the New World. He would later be regarded as the first Elysian monarch.

Theophilos, Master of the Work:

The Third Master of the Odyssey, who allowed the Elysians to imagine wonders and harbors where nothing but nature had once stood. Theophilios is regarded for his sharp intelligence and his commitment to transforming his homeland into a true homeland for his people, where generations of Elysians began to both culturally and spiritually drift away from their ancient ties from the old world. He would be remembered as the Augustus of the New World, where he would spend his life transforming the Third Rome from a city of brick into a capital of marble.

Working alongside his brilliant wife Aida, Theophilios would play an important role during the Odyssey and the years of developing the wider realm as a whole. He would become popular among the common people and within the wider imperial society for his innate benevolence and deep scholarship, often playing a highly influential or outright direct role in the construction of many of the marvels within the heartland of the empire. The Imperial Palace, the Theophilian Walls which would be named after him by his endearing subjects, and the city plan for Nea Konstantinopolis was designed and built by him. Other marvels across the realm, such as the Grand Cothon of Prosphorion and the famed Saint Ioannes Monastery at the summit of Mount Aithaia would be directly attributed to him. Other designs and sketches for other buildings and cities, many of which wouldn’t be built after his death,

Many important events would occur within his reign, where both foreign and domestic issues would see the wider empire begin to transition away from decades of isolation and open up more within the wider continent. The birth of Elysian Orthodoxy, the discovery and contact with Portuguese merchants and explorers, and the realignment of a changing world would have Theophilios cautiously redevelop the empire as the years passed by. Embracing the Renaissance elements to their fullest, along with a restructuring of government, Theophilios would famously declare the restoration of the Imperial Senate in Elysium, granting substantial powers to the dynatoi and provincial governors who comprised much of the wider ruling class.

The death of his beloved wife Aida would devastate Theophilios beyond repair, and he would never recover from the loss of whom he viewed as his soul mate. He would die in 1492 as the last among the three Masters and one of the last Romans. Generations of separation between the old and new worlds and the growing identity of Elysianism would coincide with the end of an age. With the death of the Masters, it would be the start of a new generation.

Theophilios would become the only Master of the Odyssey to not be canonized as a Saint, although he would hold an incredible amount of respect among the church and the social classes of the Empire for his patronage and contribution to the marvels that would be built. Theophilios would be remembered as one of the empire's finest rulers in a transitionary period that defined his reign.

Map of the Eastern Roman Empire at the time of Theophilios II's death, c.1492​

 

[HistoryDude]

It's nice to see all of this information gathered in one place.

We will see how the ERE in the New World moves on now that it is less concerned with dreams of the Old World and Rome's ancient glories...

 

[Crimson Lionheart]

Chapter 15: Northbound Ambitions (1504-1510)​

The Treaty of Elpida would secure the spheres of influence between the Elysians and the Portuguese, securing both the future of Elysium and Arkadia with the diplomatic weight that the treaty presented between the two nations. Celebrated as a grand victory among the diplomats of both nations, the weight of the treaty would only serve to act towards a further boon for their economies. The wealth of the Kykladies would be claimed by the empire alone, holding grand ambitions for further settlement among the archipelago to fuel its economic dominance in the New World while also deterring any European power from claiming the wealthy islands as their own.

Along with the legal backing to enforce the treaty among its territories however it pleased, Elysia would only accept trade among their Portuguese allies across the distant ocean much to the wild envy of the European powers. To acquire the Elysian markets, European merchants would be forced to conduct their trade within Portugal. The treaty would become a symbolic reminder to the world that the spirit and legacy of the Romans hadn’t perished during their flight across the sea. Elysia was emerging as a great power in its own right, and with immense opportunities for itself, it was more than eager to create a legacy for itself.

With the rediscovery of the old world, the modernization of the imperial army would continue to yield great results as valuable trade networks and the newest technological advances of Europe would find their way to Elysian shores. Gunpowder weaponry had slowly begun to appear within the weaponry of the European powers as a rarity a century prior, while slowly becoming more commonplace throughout the rest of the 15th century. The Ottomans would be observed with such weaponry among their feared Jannisary corps shortly before the Odyssey.

Upon their arrival to the New World, gunpowder and the means to produce it would remain nonexistent until the Elysian rediscovery of the Old World decades later. Completely isolated from the rest of the world and focusing heavily on their survival, traditional weaponry such as blades and bows would retain their importance among the military. Looking for a powerful alternative to combat any native or insurrectionist enemies, the imperial army would focus on developing crossbows. An Allagia wielding chiefly crossbows, which were powerful and easy to use, while also wielding halberds and pikes in melee would prove extraordinarily effective at combatting or countering any barbaroi attack.

Crossbows would become the primary weapon of choice alongside traditional blade weaponry. The mobile nature of combat on Elysium would allow archers and marksmen to shine. Once the development of gunpowder weaponry began in Elysium, these powerful archers retained their importance for generations to come.

After the Great Storm, the majority of people in Elysium had neither found the want nor need to travel far beyond the sight of the coastline, often preferring to settle farther inland or on nearby islands. With the success of Pytheas’s voyage to Europe, it had been shown that it was possible yet difficult to venture across the oceans once more. Now that the empire was capable of standing on its own and with an expansionist drive within its heart, efforts would be taken to expand its colonial institutions and increase the range upon which to supply the new settlements along the frontier.

Elysian ambitions to expand could no longer be ignored. Looking to expand across the continent of its namesake, the settler-colonial belief among the empire would seek to expand across the breadth of its lands and bring the light of civilization outward across the continent. It was the start of Elysian imperialism and expansionism, and all of the benefits and ills that would be carried with it.

Organized expansion and the appearance of new cities along the frontier would lead to an expansionist drive to bring the immediate region under imperial control. Having modernized and prepared for conflict for over a decade, the Imperial Army marched northward. Generals and commanders would march with a disciplined force of fifteen thousand soldiers to conquer the northern frontier lands between Elysia and Vinland. Standing in the way of this was the Wampanoag Federation.

The Federation would be a powerful native power in the region. When united in times of war, the Federation could outnumber the imperial army. The Empire would come prepared, with highly-disciplined soldiers who were motivated and armed to the teeth with modern weaponry and armor. A decisive victory on the battlefield would be all that would be required to break the Federation and its fighting spirit. In the following spring of 1505, Imperial forces marched into Pequot lands.

Imperial forces would cross into Pequot lands, catching the assembling Wampanoag forces by surprise and inflicting a crushing defeat on the natives. Led by a commander from a separate branch of the imperial house, the Battle of Pequot would see minimal losses among the disciplined professional Elysian forces while Wampanoag forces would see a crushing loss of thousands of their own. A timed retreat among the barbaroi prevented what had almost become a complete envelopment, preventing the Elysians from a complete decisive victory.

It would result in a victory by the end of the battle, and with thousands of losses, the Wampanoag would suffer a crushing defeat which they couldn’t recover from. Once Varangian and Kykladian forces began to arrive to lay siege on the tribal lands, the war had been effectively decided.

The Wampanoag heartland would be placed under direct siege, while the empire’s subjects would make their own plans to bring the Pequot and Manican territories under occupation. Inflicting an earlier victory, the Federation lands were completely undefended and left to the merciless advance of imperial forces into the region. Whatever army that had remained among their broken remnants would retreat into the wilderness, gathering whatever remained of their strength to challenge the imperial occupation.

Within four months, the war would be concluded with an overwhelming victory. The Wampanoag Federation would be dissolved, with its tribal lands losing all sovereignty as their lands would become annexed into the Elysian Empire. The Imperial Army would remain behind in the lands to further pacify the lands, watching the barbaroi closely to prevent any form of rebellion from taking form. Bureaucracy and law would be moved into the region, while zealous preachers and wealthy traders worked to convert the wealth and faith of the region into their own.

Despite the victory, the Federation army remained in the wilderness, biding their time to return and liberate their brethren. The dissolution of the Federation would open the northern frontier to the Empire, which would begin efforts to organize colonization and expansion into the region shortly after its victory.

The last remnant of the Federation would be sighted by scouts surveying the area around the north, quickly relaying the information back to the Imperial Army. Phocas Palaiologos, a talented commander and a scion of the imperial family, would take the initiative and march into the untamed wilderness to catch the defeated natives by surprise. Crossing into the wilderness along a difficult but ungarded route into the night, arriving before the Federation encampment shortly before dawn. The Battle of Massachusett, named after the local Massachusett people living in the region, would begin only a few weeks following the end of the war.

Arranging his forces to trap the barbaroi against a large river near the sea, a battle would commence shortly after daybreak. Emerging from the trees and launching a devastating ambush, it would catch the rebels completely by surprise. With the Elysians attacking unexpectedly, and with poor visibility, the barbaroi would find no chance to form a rudimentary fighting line and be defeated after a few hours of fighting. The trap would further enclose as the Elysians pushed the rebels against the river, condensing their ranks and squeezing them together before slaughtering them. Some of the natives, trapped between the bodies of their fallen warriors, would drown and be washed away by the strong current of the river.

In the massacre that followed, the entirety of the rebel forces were completely wiped out. Phocas, once more attaining superior leadership and the supremacy of Elysian forces in battle would earn another victory on the battlefield. News of the victory would spread beyond the native lands and make shockwaves along the local area, silencing many barbaroi regions from open revolt. This would contribute to the future ease of establishing colonia in the region and the acceptance of Elysian rule over the local tribes, with the region being pacified without any resistance from then on.

Long reaching out to the northernmost tribe to the far lands of the north, the Empire would extend an alliance with the Penawapskewi to solidify their relationship of Orthodox brotherhood. The Empire would extend its diplomatic reach northward near the Vinlandic territories, extending to the remote tribe and keeping their distance. The location of their newfound allies would become strategically important to the Empire, controlling a river opening along the Pythean Bay, which Elysia would view as a core territory. Access and settlement of the region would deny Vinland an important coastal region full of resources and wealth.

Religion would be of great social importance within the government and Elysian identity as a whole, but the priestly class of the state would begin to gain too much influence within the government. Not anywhere near as pious as his father, Alexios VI would hold a level of disdain towards the clergy for being far too involved in politics and not remaining devoted to the Church as a whole. In his belief, their narrow-minded worldview would only hinder the growth of the empire if they kept their power.

Beginning in the winter months of 1508, the Emperor would begin to curtail many of the clerical privileges within the government to reduce their influence. Alexios VI would find like-minded allies within the church to help further enact his reforms, strengthening religious unity and directing the Elysian Orthodox church back to the faith rather than to the will of politicians.

Charting the lands around the Pythean Bay, Elysian settlers would arrive to settle along the area to colonize the region. The local Massachusett people, who would occupy small season communities in the region, would be stricken with European diseases brought by the settlers and traders. The remaining barbaroi would begin to be integrated by the empire, who were becoming masters of assimilating natives through the Elysification of territories, and see them convert to Elysian Orthodoxy.

One of the newest settlements, Maiandros, would quickly become one of the fastest-growing settlements within the Pythean Bay. Its oceanfront location would make it a lively port that would primarily be focused on fishing and shipping, and within a matter of years, would quickly find itself as a primary stop on the Vinlandic trade route.

Penawapskewi and Elysian relations would continue to grow until the Empire, with its strength and with a protectionist attitude towards the allied tribes, would extend an offer for them to be accepted as a vassal state. Acceptance would come with the Penawapskewi receiving a portion of Elysia’s wealth for themselves as a reward for servitude, while guaranteeing their own safety from outside threats. In return, however, the Penawapskewi would see its culture and way of life slowly eroded away.

Such an important decision would change the way that the Penawapskewi would exist, and as such, left its elders and tribesmen deeply conflicted. Its Chiefs would decided that the benefit for safety would outweigh such a loss and would accept, even at the cost of the soul of the tribe. With their acceptance, the Penawapskewi would share the same fate of many of the allied tribes within Elysia. For a few, the truth was unable to bear for what they would see as a slow death of their tribe, and would forever leave it behind to venture into the wild lands.

Expansion within the limits of Nea Konstantinopolis and the spread of a uniquely Elysian Renaissance would influence many of the buildings within the imperial capital. Carrying over much of his father's passion for creating a new world, Alexios VI would take a personal interest in the ingenious idea for the construction of a mighty Hippodrome to hold chariot races and other entertainment. Importantly, it would also encourage and stipulate the breeding of imported European horses to serve within the Imperial Army. Strong equines belonging to Elysia that were fast and can pull weight, and under an experienced rider, were utterly unstoppable in combat.

Commencing construction in an underdeveloped section of the capital, several kilometers away from the imperial palace, an enormous hippodrome of solid stone would begin to be constructed. With the Emperor overseeing construction personally and drafting a construction plan, it was expected that construction would take over five years.

Elsewhere within the imperial capital, Theophilios’s designs for the city would lack the construction of a planned forum that would be seen within his lifetime. As his successor and son, Alexios VI felt it upon himself to complete what his father had originally started and to complete the construction of the forum. Much akin to the ancient empire of old, the Elysian Forum as it would come to be known, would become the center of the city and the heart of day-to-day life within the Empire.

The site of triumphal processions, a venue for law and governance, and where statues and monuments would commemorate the city and the empire's finest men and heroes. Once a central marketplace from which the early Elysian exiles organized their wares, it would become the formal center of the capital and the location of the Imperial Senate.

In the center of it all, within the structures of government, was a towering pillar. A column of the Odyssey, adorned with the tragedy of the past and the hope of the future, serves as a reminder of where Elysia might go. After nearly twenty years on the throne, Alexios would finally complete his father's work, giving the forum its final form.

With an empire undergoing tremendous economic and population growth following the rediscovery of the Old World, along with the fertility of the land and climate, the standing army of the empire would be expanded. Another standing army, trained and disciplined in the fighting conditions of an expanding empire, would be assembled and stand at fifteen thousand strong. Much of the units would comprise infantry, while a small but terrifyingly effective cavalry force would make use of the new horses within the army.

Reinforcing the core of the army would be the Prinkipes, Elysian Jannisaries who were founded by Orhan Celebi and served as elite shock infantry units for their unshakable discipline and devotion. Standing at two thousand strong and made up of young orphaned barbaroi who would be educated in the true faith and speak the Elysian tongue, their ferocious offensive, and rigorous discipline would be backed with a new invention.

Gunpowder, once impossible to manufacture before the Odyssey, would find its way to the shores of Elysium from the distant seas. The Imperial Army became incredibly interested in gunpowder weaponry for its destructive power, looking to augment it alongside Greek Fire in combat on the sea and land. With such weaponry starting to appear in its arsenal, along with a modernizing military, the two armies would be rigorously trained for the coming few months.

With the resources and ambition at his disposal, the Emperor’s eyes would turn southward for the first time in years. Long having remained as nothing more than a sleepy backwater portion of the realm, Alexios VI would begin what was to become the most memorable period of his reign. It would become the moment when the son would step out of his father's shadow and etch his legacy for himself.

It would be the start of the first Imperial Conquest.
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It's nice to see all of this information gathered in one place.

We will see how the ERE in the New World moves on now that it is less concerned with dreams of the Old World and Rome's ancient glories...

This shall be the first of many! Elysia is merely taking baby steps to a wider world

 

[HistoryDude]

Who will be the target of this "Imperial Conquest"?

Also, Elysia seems to have embraced the spirit of Manifest Destiny. Do they have a special (Greek) name for that?

 

[Fool Esquire]

Who will be the target of this "Imperial Conquest"?

Also, Elysia seems to have embraced the spirit of Manifest Destiny. Do they have a special (Greek) name for that?

I think it would be cool to call it "Τελική Αυτοκρατορία" (Telikí Aftokratoría) which supposedly means "Final Empire". Because this is the last unclaimed land on Earth (as far as they know) and their last chance to have a Roman Empire.
The phrase might be too long, though. Nine(?) syllables while Manifest Destiny is only six. It's harder to imagine a crowd chanting it.